Of Bees and Men A time will come when bees will disappear and milk will be poisonous... Vanga (Bulgarian fortune teller) If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man. A. Einstein
Comparison of the Species Homo sapiens /Wise man/ Exists since: ~ 40 000 years ago Creates an artificial living environment crops Population: booming; Apis mellifera /Honey bee/ Exists since: ~ 40 000 000 years ago Maintains its natural living environment - pollination; Population: about to collapse?
CCD - Colony Collapse Disorder Literally means collapse of bee colonies, popularly known as disappearing disease" Colony Collapse Disorder - A phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive abruptly disappear, despite the presence of a queen bee, brood and food supplies. No dead bees can be found for examination, either around or inside the hive, while the deserted food supplies are not immediately robbed by other bee colonies. According to USDA data, CCD has caused over 30% of bee losses since 2006 /USA/ EFSA reports a bee mortality rate of 30-50% annually in the same period /EU/ * Increased mortality of bees - a total mortality rate of over 10% per year
Possible causes for the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) 1. Inadequate nutrition - monoculture - destruction of wild plants 2. Pesticide poisoning - next generation products - neonicotinoids 3.GMO cultures - GMO concentration in the pollen reduced resistance to nosema - Bt toxin /corn/ 4. Mobile beekeeping - stress caused by the frequent relocation - spreading of diseases 5. Weak genetic potential - depletion of the genetic biodiversity of queen bees caused by breeding in artificial conditions 6. Beekeeping practices - feeding - treatment with medicines 7. Bee diseases - Varroatosis - Nosematosis /N.ceranae/ 8. Pollution - toxic substances in the soil, water and air 9. Electromagnetic radiation - GSM technologies /firmly rejected by scientists/ 10. Climate changes - affect the flowering of melliferous plants - disturb the bio-rhythm of bee colonies
Preliminary data about cases of increased mortality in Bulgaria A poll conducted by the team of "Of Bees and Men" Reports in the print and electronic media
Specialised research Objectives: 1. Research of distribution of the Colony Collapse Disorder in Bulgaria. 2. Examine the causes for Increased mortality of bee colonies in each individual case. 3. Receive Feedback from beekepers about the policy on beekeeping. Methods: 1. Visits of apiaries, examinations of bee colonies, filling a protocol;. Dr Yordan Hristov Iliya Tsonev 2. Video recording of bee colony examinations and the attitude of beekeepers; Delyan Spasov 3. Keeping in touch with Proactive beekeepers locally; Plamen Dimov
Scope of Study A total 41 apiaries of various types, located in 15 regions of the country, visited in the period June-August 2011. The collected data refers to the period 2009 2011.
Results Increased mortality rate - 29 apiaries Mortality up to 10% - 12 apiaries Dead colonies - 34% Surviving colonies - 66%
Mortality factors in terms of number of cases Pesticide poisoning Toxicosis Varroatosis Nosematosis Hunger Errors in technology Rodents
Bee colony losses Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) 0% Pesticide poisoning 64% Errors 2% Diseases 29% Hunger 5%
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) Study - conclusions Within the conducted research, none of the cases of increased mortality represented a full manifestation of the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD); In each of the cases, "excess mortality" was related to one or more specific causal factors; The factors leading to "increased mortality" are a direct or indirect result of human activities.
Pesticide poisoning: conclusions pesticides treatment poisoning die-off Safe for bees Neonicotinoids Quarantine period Acute Protracted toxicity /?days/ Flowering! Mass die-off Crawling, gradual weakening of the colony List of approved pesticides Ordinance 15 Beekeeping laws Standing committee Laboratories
Diseases: conclusions Varroatosis Varoa destructor In case of massive infestation, bees could leave the hive via swarming /November- December/, the queen bee stays behind with a handful of worker bees, brood and noney in the combs the situation resembles CCD. Regular veterinary care; Veterinary medicines, efficiency, quality control; Sample testing laboratories; Accessibility of services; Scientific servicing of the sector; Training of beekeepers. Responsibility of the beekeepers; Nosematosis Nosema ceranae Nosema apis Factorial disease: Region /microclimate/; Weather conditions; Flaws in bee wintering etc.
Factor distribution varroatosis poisoning nosematosis hunger
Recommendations from beekeepers participants in the study Direct subsidy per bee colony; Optimization of the legislation; Effectiveness of the standing committees at the regional Agriculture directorates; The quality of queen bees; Optimization of a three-year program for the development of beekeeping; Improved veterinary and scientific servicing of the sector; Assistance in the protection of apiaries; Tax relief for beekeepers; Ensure product realization.